Spoken by the great Dave Matthews {as a longer side note than most of my side notes, you know you're old when middle school + high school students look at you with a blank stare, not knowing DMB}. I've always known this to be true, but it's even more apparent when we have visitors in town. I think that's the most important lesson I've learned so far in this journey abroad. So with that said, here is the weekly round-up:

1. It doesn't matter where you are but who you're with; home doesn't mean a location, but rather, home is a person or people {what a cheese ball, right?}. That couldn't be more true as we've had family visiting last week, and friends coming TOMORROW! We could be in the middle of nowhere with all our friends + family and be happy; or, we could be in a great city, like London, without friends + family and feel lost {we're getting there, though!}. That being said, when I go home to family + friends for two weeks at the end of the month, it's not going to feel quite like home sweet home Chicago without Ross.

2. A stone is 14 pounds. This honestly doesn't make any sense to me. Which stone did they weighed to figure out that measurement?

3. Prescriptions are astronomically cheaper here than at home. What would cost $20-40 with insurance or $80-100 without, cost only £0-8 with National Healthcare. However, I am still on the fence about the National Healthcare System.

4. Mail takes 6-8 weeks to get here from the US. And, if the goods are new, you have to pay UK tax, even if you've already paid taxes for the items in the US.

6. Cuppa is an abbreviation for cup of tea or coffee. Go on, try to use it in a sentence: Do you want to catch up over a cuppa? {I don't even know if that's correct!}.

7. Smoked salmon is served with many breakfast dishes. 6 months ago, I would have told you that it looked like the grossest thing I ever laid my eyes on. Today, I tell you it's the best, tastiest addition to my eggs + toast, especially when smashed avocado is added!

8. No one knows how to scramble an egg here. They are watery + mushy. However, they do make one heck of a poached egg, so it's a good alternative when ordering eggs for breakfast/brunch.

9. While Nordstrom doesn't exist here {I'm missing them tremendously!}, ASOS {also in the US} is very similar: free + fast shipping, easy returns, name brand items, and yet, inexpensive items. There is honestly something for everyone {I feel like I'm their sales rep, and I promise you I'm not, I just have a slight obsession!}. I've ordered {to Ross's dismay} many dresses + skirts in hopes to find something to wear for our wedding shower.

10. Vietnamese Pho is the new Sushi. Start eating it. It's delicious and healthier than sushi. Although, it's quite salty and you'll most likely wake up in the middle of the night dying for a drink of water.

11. Bartenders are stingy with liquor {and wine for that matter}. In fact, there is an actual UK law on how much "spirits" {British term for liquor} should be dispensed {25ml/ 35ml for spirits or 125ml/ 175ml for wine}. 35 ml is 1.2 fluid ounces. So if you feel like your bartender shorted you, s/he did. They also will charge you an arm + a leg for shorting you.

12. Layer up! My friends asked me what to pack and my only suggestion was to wear layer upon layer {I wore 3 long sleeved shirts the other day!}. You could be cold and need those layers or you could be hot and take off a layer. You could be wet and want to keep on your raincoat, or you could be hot + dry and carry your raincoat. And this can all be done on one day in this crazy, beautiful city.